Record-Breaking $4 Million Raised for Student Scholarships at President’s Dinner

The 27th Annual President’s Dinner, St. John’s University’s premier fundraising event, raised a staggering four million dollars in aid for student scholarships—an increase of over $500,000 more than any prior year’s total. 

The always festive gala was held on Wednesday, October 30, in the Grand Ballroom of the New York Hilton Midtown, which was decorated in St. John’s signature red and white. It combined an atmosphere of joy and hope with nostalgia and gratitude, as the University celebrated its past while looking optimistically toward its future. More than 800 preregistered guests attended.

As he addressed the gathering, Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President of St. John’s, discussed the inherent power of a college education and the importance of scholarships. “It’s about families. It’s about changing the trajectory of a family,” he said. “When you go to college, your ability to earn money, to give back to your family, and to make a mark in the world is so much more powerful than if you don’t have a college education.”

Fr. Shanley stressed, “The value proposition of what a college education can do for your lives is something we need to make a better argument for.” 

He explained that a college education increases social mobility. “You move up in the world with a college education. All of the data shows that if you get a college education, you will make more money, live longer, and be happier. All these metrics about what a good life supposedly means goes up if you have a college education. Our commitment to first-generation students, to Pell students, and students with high financial need, means that the most important thing at St. John’s is what we’re doing here tonight. We need scholarship money for our students.”

Fr. Shanley expressed his immense gratitude to all the alumni donors who enable the next generation of Johnnies to follow in their footsteps. “I can’t tell you how important it is going forward that we have the ability to enable students who come to St. John’s with a lot of financial need to continue their education, to change their lives, to change their family’s lives—and to change the world as a result of that.”

The President’s Dinner is also an opportunity to honor several of the University’s most active and generous alumni with the Spirit of Service Award.

This year’s honorees were

• Christopher R. Concannon ’92MBA, Chief Executive Officer MarketAxess
• Frank J. DellaFera, R.Ph. ’81P, President and Cofounder at Fera Pharmaceuticals
• Donna (’82CBA) and Robert Drummond ’82CBA, Chief Expense Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer, Northwell Health
• Daniel J. Finnegan ’84CBA, Director and Audit Committee Chair, StubHub

Mr. Concannon said, “Your help tonight helps fund all the special programs the school offers so our graduates can compete in this world,” noting many St. John’s graduates are first-generation college students. “That typically means they didn’t grow up with money and resources. Please let’s help St. John’s so we can give the students what they need to be successful in a very competitive world.”

Mr. DellaFera told the audience that his St. John’s experience was the foundation of his personal and business life. “I would like to share my philosophy of success: first develop a goal, then acquire the knowledge, work with energy, and be persistent in achieving that goal. That is called grit.”

“When we left St. John’s with our degrees, we had the confidence to move into the real world, and all of us found success in the fields we moved into,” Mr. Drummond recalled. “As a family, we are so grateful for the gifts that St. John’s offered us and the Catholic values that were instilled in us during our time there.”

Mrs. Drummond added, “We are proud of our alma mater for being true to the Vincentian values they exhibit not only toward the student population, but to the community at large here in New York City. Those values have been at the core of everything we have done together.” 

Mrs. Drummond noted she and her husband were married in Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel and attend Holy Week services on campus each year. “We have always felt the love from this great University and are blessed to be able to support student scholarships tonight.”

As a Vincentian University, St. John’s is dedicated to service by providing an outstanding education for all people, especially those lacking economic or social advantages, Mr. Finnegan stressed.

“Forty-four years ago, as a first-generation American and first-generation college student, I was one of those students that lacked economic and social advantages,” he said. “I still remember my first visit to St. John’s with my parents. The purpose wasn’t a campus tour; our only stop was the financial aid office to see if I could afford to go to college.”

He added, “Thanks to financial help from the government and St. John’s, I was able to graduate with a degree in Accounting. My two younger brothers also graduated from St. John’s with accounting degrees. St. John’s gave us a great education and set us on the path for successful careers.”

Very Rev. Stephen M. Grozio, C.M., Provincial of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission, said, “The Vincentian and Catholic mission of St. John’s gives us a deep love and appreciation and care for students who may not be able to afford a college education.”

He added, “St. John’s is one of the universities that helps students to be upwardly mobile—and this is the first step. Scholarship money is used to get those who cannot afford college to move up, help them establish themselves, and be contributors to society—not just in terms of getting an education, but in their values, outreach, and concern for others.”

Gloria Pazmino ’10CPS, CNN Correspondent, served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. During her remarks, she discussed the many signs that point to St. John’s University’s bright future, including the recent opening of the state-of-the-art St. Vincent Health Sciences Center on the Queens, NY, campus. 

“The stunning facility comprises classrooms, simulation spaces, flex labs, and anatomy and chemistry labs, and has capacity for the fast-growing Nursing program, and other health sciences programs. And, just last week, the new building was highlighted in a segment that ran on WPIX Channel 11,” she related.

Ms. Pazmino noted that St. John’s continues to rise in the U.S. News & World Report education rankings of the nation’s top universities. In the just-released Best Colleges 2025 Guidebook, St. John’s moved up 11 spots from last year’s ranking on the list of the best national universities. 

The insurance programs in the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science were ranked ninth among national programs on the “Best Undergraduate Insurance Programs” list. They are the highest-ranked programs cited at St. John’s. 

“But the ranking we can all be most proud of is that St. John’s has again been cited as a ‘Top Performer on Social Mobility,’ ranked 35 among national universities—exceeded by only one other private institution in New York and one other Catholic institution in the US.

She added, “St. John’s is a global institution, and our graduates are found in every corner of the world. This past summer, the world witnessed this when St. John’s had two athletes and two coaches representing three different countries at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. A recent fencing graduate, Fares Ferjani ’22TCB, ’23MBA , representing Tunisia in the men’s sabre competition, brought home a silver medal.”

Student speaker Demetra Koutmanis, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree candidate in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and member of the President’s Society, the University’s highest honor society, told the audience she was proof of what hope, determination, and the generosity of others can achieve. “Reflecting on the journey that brought me here today, I am filled with profound gratitude for what St. John’s has given me, and gratitude for you—for believing in students like me and investing in our futures.”

Demetra, a first-generation college student, continued: “Like many of you, I’ve always carried the dreams of my family with me. For my family, education is a promise for a better tomorrow. My parents, like many others, sacrificed so much. They always emphasized the importance of education and hard work to achieve a better life. Their dream—like the dream of every parent—is for their children to climb higher, to achieve more, and to break barriers. And because of your support, that dream is now a reality for me, my family, and for so many others.”

She emphasized, “These scholarships are more than financial support—they are a reminder that people believe in me and my dreams.”

Finance major and President’s Society member Lauren Regina Santoro said, “I think tonight is so special because the main goal is to raise scholarship funds for incoming students. As someone who was only able to attend St. John’s because of scholarships, attending a night like this is just really special. I acknowledge that nothing would be possible without St. John’s and the scholarships that helped me get here.”

Justin D. Siracusa, also a Finance major and President’s Society member, explained that the President’s Dinner embodies what St. John’s is all about. “It brings together alumni, past and present administration, and current students. It’s about bringing all of us together and giving back to the University, which just furthers our mission.”

President’s Society member Antonia Cuellar Urrutia, a double major in Biology and Psychology, enjoyed interacting with alumni and the evening’s special honorees. “It’s a very important night because our students can see how our alumni have succeeded in the real world. It’s amazing how alumni are so willing to talk to us and share their stories, and so willing to hear our stories as well.”